Skid floor



M. WATTER Jan. 8, 1946. 7

SKID FLOOR Filed Nov. 15, 1944 2Sheets-Sheet 1 PIC-r. 2

III H H I1 F l II HI INVENTOR MICHAEL WATTER' A TTORNE Y Jan. 8, 1946. M. WATTER 2,392,789

SKID FLOOR Filed Nov. 15, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR MICHAEL WAT TER ATTORNEY PIG.4

Patented Jan. 8, 1946 sxm noon Michael Wattor, Philadelphia, Pa... assignor to Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa... a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 15, 1944, Serial No. 563,605

3- Claims.

This invention relates to floors and has for an object the provision of improvements in this art. I One of the objects of the invention is to provide a very strong, light floor particularly suited for aircraft.

Another object is to provide a floor which is not too smooth for good footing but which provides a very smooth sliding support for large objects.

Another object is to provide a floor wherein the heads of the securing means, such as screws, are concealed below the wear surface.

Another object is to provide a floor with smooth skid strips which are disposed in the direction to assist loading from a given direction.

The above and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of certain exemplary mbodiments thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical chordwise section through the cargo compartment of an airplane embodying the present invention; I

Fig. 2 is an enlarged spanwise vertical section through the cargo compartment;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged spanwise vertical cross section of a portion of the floor, the view being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4; fl Fig. 4 is a. further enlarged plan view of th Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a top perspective view" of a portion of the floor; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a modification.

As a setting for one use of a floor embodying the present invention, there is shown an airplane 5 having a cargo compartment 2 which is loaded from one end, as up a ramp 3 by a winch i. A large box 5 is moving along the floor 6 of the compartment.

Th floor is supported by a plurality of transverse beams ,l, here of channel section set on edge. As shown in Fig. 2, the frame of the airplane includes side plates 8 and one or more side flanged intermediate rails 9 for supporting the side edges of the floor panels I0. Four panels are shown herein but the number is not limited.

Each floor panel comprises a metal bottom sheet ll, spaced metal skid rails l2, and a wood board 13. The rails are higher than the top of the wooden board so that large objects such as boxes may slide on the rails while small objects may rest on the wood surface.

The boards may be formed of plywood panels,

for example, birch iacings M on a light strong wood i5.

The metal sheet II and the skid rails l2 are preferably made of a strong durable material such as cold-rolled 18-8 stainless steel and may be welded together. The rails are preferably made of hollow flanged sections such as the sombrero sections illustrated and are filled to prevent crushing by a solid material I B such, for example, as a wood strip or plastic filler.

The boards l3 are set between the rails l2 and preferably are strongly bonded by known materials and methods to the metal sheets I I.

The panels are anchored to the frame of the airplane by screws or bolts t1, the heads being preferably countersunk into the wood boards.

Part of the washers I8 (if used) also may be countersunk. The exposed edges of the boards may be protected and strengthened for bolting go by channel or angle section edging strips iii.

If desired, the edging strips may also be used alongside the rails M; or the rails may be seecured on the edges as well'as between boards.

Such a panel is extremely strong for its weight because the high-tensile metal sheet Ii is placed at the bottom of the panel where it effectively receives the maximum tensile loading caused by vertical loads on the floor; and also because the wood boards thereabove are placed in compression, for which they are best suited. In addisheets ll are placed above instead of below the side flanges of the rails i2; and instead or being welded to these flanges, the sheets are secured thereto, along with the woodboard It,

by bolts l1. This construction permits the metal and wood panel sections to be pre-formed in a flat-board press. They may, for example, be formed in large pieces which are later sawed to the desired size. It also permits the rails 82' together with a bottom plate 20' to be welded to the beams I, if that is desired.

In any form and for any use, whether for a floor or other purpose, the panel is well adapted to take'heavy loads applied against the woodfaced side.

And while certain embodiments'of the inven tion have been described for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that there maybe various embodiments within the limits 0! the prior art and the scope of the subioined claims.

What is claimed is: I L'A floor comprising in combination, a pinrality oi transverse metal beams, a plurality of parallel metal skid rails provided with base flanges which are secured to the beams, and an integrally bonded laminated wood and metal I sheet board secured between adjacent skid rails and having the edges of the panel resting on the flanges of the skid rails, the metal sheet being disposed on the bottom of the board and a secured to said skid rails and beams where it will take heavy tension loads and impose compression loads on the integrally bonded wood portion oi the board when loads are placed on the board.

2. A floor comprising in combination. a plurality 01 metal beams having lateral top flanges,

a plurality of hat-shaped skid rails having their bottom flanges welded to the flanges of said beams, and an integrally bonded laminated wood and metal sheet board secured between adiacent skid rails and having the edges of the panel resting on the flanges of the skid rails, the metal sheet being disposed on the bottom of the board and secured to the flanges of the skid rails and beams where it will take heavy tension loads and imposed compression loads on the integrally bonded wood portion of the board when loads are placed on the board.

3. A floor as set forth in claim 2 in which said skid rails are formed of thin metal and fllled with compression-taking material. 

